Fielding Graduate University News

Fielding Graduate University President takes leadership role in gun violence initiative

President Meyers to serve as liaison to the national movement on behalf of leaders from California independent colleges to increase the number of university presidents supporting gun control legislation nationwide.

Late last year, Meyers became one of the first university presidents to sign an open letter, written on behalf of College Presidents for Gun Safety, addressed to the nation’s policy makers urging the timely passage of gun safety legislation. Since its release, the letter and accompanying petition have been signed by more than 350 higher education leaders.

While Meyers was in Washington, D.C. last week for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) National Conference, he attended a press conference with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and had the opportunity to speak to personally, as well as Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the executive committee of the American Association of Universities, the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and the United States Student Association. Meyers was one of approximately 100 college and university presidents who attended the press conference as a show of force.

In addition to attending the press conference, Meyers also spent time visiting with congressional representatives and participated in a collaborative meeting with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group that is coordinated out of mayor Bloomberg’s office in New York. Meyers agreed to serve as a liaison to the national movement on behalf of leaders from California independent colleges. To this end, he plans to actively work to increase the number of university presidents supporting the gun control legislation nationwide to reach the goal of 1,000 signatories.